By DOUG HARLOW
Staff Writer
 
FARMINGTON — Central Maine Power Co. reports that 16,000 customers remain without power this morning, and the company expects to have power restored to all customers by late tonight.
The utility reported 30,000 customers were without power earlier this morning, including 2,589 in Franklin County. New data at 10 a.m. showed only 243 homes and businesses without power in Franklin County.
Today is the second day of restoration efforts from the effects of Sandy, which left an estimated 165,000 power company customers in the dark. Company crews have restored power to nearly 150,000 accounts in the past 72 hours, according to a release from company spokesman John Carroll.
“We will be funneling crews into Cumberland, Lincoln, and York counties as we complete the work in other areas,” Tom DePeter, director of electric distribution for the company, said in a release. “We have multiple crews assigned to every circuit in every town, and we have 17 fresh crews from our neighbors to the north, Bangor Hydro Electric and Maine Public Service, coming to help us close this out.”
In Farmington, Whittier Road survived the storm, but town officials closed the road early Tuesday afternoon. Officials  remain concerned that rapidly rising water in the Sandy River will erode it’s riverbank, further threatening the heavily traveled road nearby.
Farmington Executive Secretary Linda Grant said the road remains closed this morning. She said the Sandy River is expected to crest today at noon, at which time town officials will reassess the situation and make a decision on opening the road at that time.
A flood watch remains in effect through this afternoon for the Kennebec River in Skowhegan, according to the National Weather Service office in Gray.
At 4 a.m. the flow of the river was 34,478 cubic feet per second. Flood stage is 35,000 CFS. The Kennebec will continue to rise this morning to 35,125, according to the weather service, and then being to fall below flood stage.
Flood watches for small streams and brooks remain in effect elsewhere in Somerset and Franklin counties. There are no warnings or watches in effect for Kennebec County.